When I first arrived in Ridgecrest there was a little house just down the street
from the Victory Market called "Uncle Tom's Cabin". This place made some
of the most decent hamburgers I had ever eaten. It was just a little place
with just small counter and a couple or three stools but all the time I was in
school it was a favorite place to visit for lunch or after school was out.
When I graduated the 8th grade at James M. Monroe it was still operating under
that name. Sometime after, it was sold to the Bauer's and became
known as Tiny's Burgers. Almost all of the historical experience stated
here deals with 'our fav burger place' after it was sold to the Bauers.
It is gone now and has been replaced by something else but I and the people
who followed enjoyed the special treatment and good things we ate there.

Tiny's burgers. . .

1961-66......Does anyone remember Tiny and Regis and the WONDERFUL burgers and suicides
(mixed colas) they made? I remember going off campus to Tiny's for lunch
and everyone cramming into the tiny space. And I really miss the Crest drive-in
on Wed. night..Dollar a carload...!!! Teddy (Beene) and I never missed a Wed.
night. Even after we were married ('62) we went every week.

Yes
they were the best. Actually the best I've EVER had anywhere.
I used to go there with my friends every morning for a cinnamon roll and a suicide
on the way to school. I went to James Monroe in kindergarten, first and eigth
grades. Then we went for lunch almost every day in high school.

I moved away after graduating from the 8th grade at James Monroe in 1966 so I didn't
graduate at Burroughs. I remember Tiny's burgers being the best ever and I
still tell people about them. The last place my family lived was at 421 W. Church
St. across from the Catholic Church and James Monroe. I haven't talked with
anyone I knew back then since the late sixties. Sure would love to be in contact
with them again and I am in contact with someone who knew some of the people
I knew. When my family moved to Ridgecrest in 1959 I was in the 2nd grade and
had Mrs. Cope. She was a very special teacher and when Las Floras school was built
I went there in the 4th grade and got to have her as a teacher again. Ridgecrest
in 1959 only had around 3,000 population what is it now? My brothers use
to go to the Hobby Shop to race slot cars do you remember that place? When we moved
the owners of Tiny's bought our house and remodeled it. The house was old
then and probably not even there anymore.

Linda (Chapman) Whitlow <><
_________________________________________________________________________
_
Had
to
add my comments to Tiny's Burgers. When I was little
we used to always stop there walking back from Brewers Pool and depending
how much money all us kids could put together, we would buy their nickel bags of
candy and maybe a couple hamburgers! It was great! The best hamburgers I ever
had; then or since.

I
hate to disagree but
Tiny never scraped her grill onto her burgers. Tiny had the best burgers in the
world because they were home made, not frozen, and she & Regis cooked them with
love. I've never seen a grill as clean as Tiny kept hers.
I don't remember
not going to Tiny's, I was born in RC in 1947..I was going to Tinys for breakfast
in 1960 when I attended 8th grade at Monroe and continued to eat there until
they closed it. Saundra Martin
_________________________________________________________________________

I
know that Tiny cooked fresh hamburgers and it was from
the hamburger they cooked at the time that the grill was scraped and put on the
hamburger not any build up from other burgers. Sorry if I made it sound that
way. They were the best! Do you know if anyone still has Tiny's Place or is it
gone? My family knew Tiny and they were the nicest people and I loved them very
much.

No Tinys has been gone for
a long time. Everyone loved Tiny and Regis. They treated us all like we were their
kids. The first place I took my oldest daughter trick or treating was to their
house, they lived in the back of Tinys, for her first Halloween. That was in
1964...She was 1...They just about filled her bag....

-Tiny
and Regis were my mum and dad--my son (Max aged
13) and I have just had a little weep to think that they are remembered) Mum
died in 1990 and Dad in 1991--I still have the original
("lunchtime burger 25cents") sign hanging on my kitchen wall plus the hamburger
turner that my mum must have flipped a million burgers with!! Also photos ofthe place being torn down and a bit of wood that was taken from it with a plaque
on it. I teach in England Now and the kids are always fascinated to hear about
USA '60's life--it wasn't half bad was it--thanks for cheering me

I
just had to say how awesome it was to see your message.
Your parents were responsible for so many happy memories; so many kids growing
up who so looked forward to a stop in at Tiny's! More than you see here, I know
for sure. It was such a delight to know you found this discussion. Isn't the
internet wonderful??!!! God bless you and your family. So glad to know that Tiny's
is still alive somewhere, not only in our hearts, but in the keepsakes you
have held onto. There is a certain comfort in that. Hard to explain, but nonetheless
very real. Thank you.

I LOVED your parents. I was really sorry to hear
about their deaths. They were really sweet ppl. I wondered where you had gotten
to and was going to ask if anyone had heard from you or knew where you were. Your
parents were very much loved by the kids in RC for a lot of years. I went to
visit them once after they moved to Church St. They came to my daughter Terris
funeral in 1976 at Lyons. I didn't get to see them, but their signature was in
the book. Ridgecrest is not the same without Tiny and Regis..
Your mother
is VERY MUCH remembered..

Linda,
You had the greatest parents at least to most of us! They made a big difference
in all of our lives....I was one of the nurses that took care of your mom at
Ridgecrest Hospital when she got sick,and you know what?? SHE REMEMBERED ME BY NAME!!!! That was amazing! I feel truly
blessed having known both of them. You son would be so amazed by his grandparents
had he known them!

.
I too remember Tiny's.
Cathy Padgett and I went to school together over the years. We go back to the
5th grade. I remember ditching at lunch time (Las Flores) to run to Tiny's to get
a burger, fries, a drink (suicide) and a bag of M&M's (peanut) all for 45 cents.
Never did get caught. Whewww...... They were the best and well worth the effort.
I was sorry to see it close as I am sure many our age were. Even parents
too I am sure.

Scott DeGeuss
_________________________________________________________________________ Hi - of course it was Bauer's Burgers! Tiny made burgers that In and
Out would be happy to claim. They were wonderful. When James Monroe
had a closed campus for lunch in the late fifties, Mr. Thomas used to turn his
back so we could sneak off to enjoy our wonderful burgers. Thank you for
a very fun stroll down memory lane.

I
lived at 205 Florence St. just a short distance from Tiny's for
many of my early years in Ridgecrest. I went there frequently with my friends
for all sorts of cheap candy. There was a giant (it looked that way to me as a
kid) jar of candy on the counter in which there was lots to choose from. After
having made my selection, I would carefully lift my few pennies up and onto the
counter (which seemed quiet elevated to me at the time) for payment. One of my
absolute favorite candies was a rather large sucker that came in grape or cherry.
On the inside there could be found for the lucky a sticker that said WINNER!!.
Occasionally I did win free suckers and would skip down the road home to tell
of my wanton conquest over the gods of candy.hahahhah. I remember when
they added the addition to the side to seat more
individuals. Even then
the overflow crowd was amazing. At lunch time both Tiny and Regis were working
very hard to keep up. No one seemed to mind waiting for the great food...and those
shakes..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Like so many other people in Ridgecrest, I considered
Tiny and Regis my family members. We were concerned about them when they were
ill or having a bad day, though that didn't seem to happen. They will always
be considered by myself as a part of my family.

I
love Lik-m-ade! And remember Flavor Straws? Nothing made milk
taste better!! hee hee....I used to love the penny candy at Tiny's. One of my
favorites was the blue bumpy balls, I think they were called Sputnik, Asteroids
or something like that...hahaha....brain freeze..urgggghhh! Help me out here...you
have a good memory!

Pam

I do remember
flavor straws. But I can't help you with the blue bumpy balls because I never
ate them. LOL!!! But I used to love to get a nickel bag at Tiny's.
She usually put in an extra or two. When we could afford a hamburger
(all us kids pooling our dimes and nickels after an afternoon of swimming
at Brewer's Pool), we would get one of those great burgers and divide it up.
MMMmmmm......What a great time we used to have!

Cathy

I went to Monroe Jr. High and every lunch hour we went to Tiny's unless
it was raining. I remember how she would let kids have burgers on credit. She
always knew without writing it down who owed her and after a few burgers on the
tab she would sometimes have to cut a kid off...but she hated that. Those were
the best burgers. I rarely had money to eat out but would go with my friends
and get a coke or some candy. Sometimes we would share the expense of a meal and
to me that was fun, sharing it...ahhhh..the good old days...:)

Pam

Wow! When I went to Monroe, we couldn't even leave
the campus to walk into the park! If I went to Tiny's, it would have
to be on my way home from school.

Cathy

The park was
open to us and we were allowed to leave campus during our lunch hour. I remember
once in high school they tried to have a closed campus. I think it was my
junior year. We all raised such a fuss and left campus anyway. They tried to block
off the drives from the parking lot, but people drove over the walkways or
parked along the access road. The reason they closed the campus was because some
of the local merchants complained about shop lifting... but then when the campus
was closed the fast food places complained because they lost so much business.
I don't think the closed campus lasted even one semester but I could be mistaken...it
was a lot of years ago you know...LOL!